My Favorite Thing
by the.letter.dragon
Summary: A series of connected oneshots based vaguely on the song 'My Favorite Things' from The Sound of Music. Clyrnin! Please read and review!
1. Raindrops on Roses

Myrnin, for one, had never particularly cared about the rain. He was intelligent enough to run when it brought the draug, and cared little about it when it did not. This remained true through several centuries of his life. That is, it remained true until he met Claire.

Now, Myrnin was one who adored the rain. It always relaxed his little Claire. He loved the way she would curl up on that chair she loved so much (he would never tell her it had been his favorite first) and insist that she was just going to read for a little while, even when she had other work to do. He loved the way Claire's heartbeat would slow as she relaxed, the way she would take a moment longer to open her eyes after every blink. Most of all Myrnin loved the moment her breath evened out in pattern with the falling rain, because he knew for sure she was asleep. It would be in that moment he would remove the book from her loose grip, cover her in the softest blanket he could find, and admire her beauty without worrying she may catch his stare.

So, of course, when the mobile phone Claire had insisted he have at all times told him it was supposed to rain that day, he was thrilled. Being that Morganville was, in fact, situated in Texas it did not rain often. And when it did it was often through the nights after Claire had left him and returned to her home in the Glass house. But, it was supposed to rain while she was at the lab today and Myrnin could hardly be more excited. He loved that she could relax so completely in his presence even if it was just because of the rain. Only she trusted him that much.

He spent the day preparing for the rain. He moved a pile of books nearer to the center of the lab. If Claire was going to read she may as well read something of use and he presumed she'd be more likely to choose from the top of a pile that she had to keep walking by. Delicately he placed a book on alchemy at the top, one that, if she read, would make her much more helpful in his newest experiment. Claire did so love to help. He moved Claire's chair to a corner so he'd be able to see it no matter where he was, though if she asked why it had been moved he would only tell her it had been in his way. He could hardly admit his love for her to himself, he certainly couldn't admit it to her.

Myrnin heard Claire coming before she so much as made it to the entrance to the alleyway. He hurried to make himself look busy, throwing a slide under a microscope and staring down into it. He made it look as though he hadn't been awaiting her arrival quite so eagerly.

"You're late," he stated as she reached the last step. He wasn't sure she actually was, but it was something to say. He turned to look at her and saw her falter and look down at the time on her phone.

"No, I'm not," Claire protested. "It's only five now!" She held the phone up as if to show him she was right. Myrnin simply shrugged and turned back to the microscope. He heard her exasperated sigh and, from the corner of his eye, could see her run her hand over her face. A small smile tugged at his lips before he forced himself back into a more neutral expression. Her actions weren't _that_ adorable. Except that they were. And she could not know that he was thinking such things.

She stepped closer to him, peering over his shoulder. "So, what are we doing today?" She asked, still glancing over his shoulder in an attempt to see what was under the microscope. He had to mentally restrain himself from turning around and pressing his lips to hers. She was standing so close to him. Too close, perhaps, seeing as he could simply turn and catch her lips without so much as having to lean forward.

He realized with sudden clarity that he was staring at a blank slide and pushed the microscope away before she could notice. He spun around, clapping his hands together. His mind reeled trying to think of something to occupy the time before the rain started, but came up entirely blank.

"Well, you read. I'm going to work on… other things," he finally said, with a noncommittal shrug.

"Oh come on, isn't there anything I can help with?" Claire asked.

"Yes, you can help by reading." Myrnin led her over to the pile of books, and placed one in her hands, "you're of no use in this if you don't understand."

"Hey! I don't even know what 'this' is," Claire protested.

Myrnin shot her a wicked grin. "And you don't get to until you finish reading." Claire groaned and rolled her eyes at him, but still plopped herself down in her chair, and opened the book. Myrnin was happy she didn't push him because the truth was, he had no idea what his next experiment was going to be either. He just figured alchemy was a good thing for Claire to have more knowledge about. He was also happy Claire didn't ask about the placement of her chair because he realized she wouldn't have believed his story for even a moment.

She settled into her reading quickly, as Myrnin did his best to keep busy before the rain. Occasionally she would pause to ask for clarification about something. Myrnin loved when she did that for two reasons. The first simply being that it meant he got to stand closer to her than usually allowed, to read the book over her shoulder. The second because it made him feel _good_ to know that she needed him. Even if it was often just as a translator. He really thought Claire ought to learn Latin, but enough of him liked that she needed his help too much to sit down and teach her.

About an hour went by when Myrnin suddenly heard the first drop hit. He did his best to contain his excitement at what was to come. Sad, he thought, that such a natural occurrence could bring him such joy simply because Claire would fall asleep. Just minutes after he heard the first drop the rain really started to fall. Claire heard it too, evidently. Her head snapped up to stare at the ceiling for a brief moment. Myrnin couldn't help the smile that tugged on his lips and turned so she wouldn't see it. He placed a new slide under the microscope, one that actually had something on it, and stared down into it. There was a thunder clap, and he heard Claire's book fall.

"Are you alright, Claire?" Myrnin asked, startled. Her heart was beating erratically and he was certain he could have smelled the adrenaline from across the galaxies. He turned to face her and noticed she had gone incredibly pale.

"I… Yeah. Fine," Claire said, and Myrnin realized he'd never in his life met a worse liar. "Sorry. Can I just go home, if you really don't have anything else for me to do?" Her voice was trembling, and she bent down to pick the book up off the floor. Myrnin felt a flash of pain, both because he couldn't understand what was wrong and because Claire had asked to leave. To leave him.

"I suppose if you really feel you must," Myrnin said, perhaps too quietly. Perhaps showing his hurt feelings too much.

"I'm sorry," Claire said. And the worst part was that he could tell she meant it. He just couldn't understand why.

Myrnin walked over to her slowly, preparing to open a portal. The rain started pouring down more heavily and Claire grabbed onto Myrnin's arm as he passed by. Myrnin's gaze snapped to hers, but she wasn't really looking at him. She was just staring off into the distance looking as though she'd been petrified. It took immense amounts of effort to control the part of himself that was honing in on her weakness and fear and to focus on helping her, and on figuring out why she was so afraid.

"Claire, honestly," Myrnin said. She turned to face him slightly, "are you alright?"

"It's nothing, really. It's stupid," Claire mumbled, looking down. She still didn't let go of Myrnin's arm.

"Claire," Myrnin gently pushed her back into her chair, kneeling down in front of her. "Please tell me. Whatever is bothering you, I won't think it's stupid." Another clap of thunder and Claire practically threw herself into Myrnin's lap. She wrapped both her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. More like clinging to him. Slowly his arms wrapped around her. Her whole body was trembling and she was taking in short, shuddering breaths.

"Claire?" Myrnin whispered, "Are you frightened by the storm?"

"I told you it was stupid," Claire sniffled, her face still pressing into his shoulder. Absently Myrnin ran his fingers through her hair, a very human movement that would have surprised him had he been paying attention.

"Why? You've always seemed to love the rain." Myrnin couldn't help the confusion that seeped into his voice. It was true though. She had even told him once before that she loved storms. He knew she found them relaxing. And she had to have known he knew that.

"I keep-" Claire broke to sniffle again and pulled away from him to wipe at her eyes. Myrnin shuddered at the loss of her touch. "I keep expecting the draug." She turned her gaze to the floor again. "I know they're long gone, and can't hurt me anymore or whatever. But I can't help it. I know it's stupid. I'm sorry, I can just go home." She was babbling Myrnin noticed. But he didn't think she was being stupid. In fact, he thought he had been stupid for not having thought about the draug earlier. She'd been killed by them, not that he had forgotten seeing her body lying on the floor, or not being sure he could save her. But to not think that she would likely not enjoy the rain anymore? Even with the draug long gone, he knew he was the stupid one. "I don't need to throw this on you," Claire said, and Myrnin focused back in on her words. She was still babbling.

"I'm scared of the dark," Myrnin suddenly blurted barely above a whisper, which surprised him. He hadn't even realized he'd thought of it.

Claire paused. "What?" she asked, finally meeting his eye.

Myrnin shrugged and decided it was best to just continue the thought, "I always have been, and even now as ridiculous as it seems I find that I cannot stand the suffocating nothingness that the dark brings." He pulled in a breath he didn't necessarily need. "So, I suppose if you'd like to compare stupid fears." He stood, and Claire did as well.

"It's not stupid, Myrnin. It's not stupid to be afraid of the dark, most people are," Claire said quietly, placing her hand back on his arm. This was different though. More like she was comforting him, than seeking comfort.

Myrnin smiled down at her. "Nor is it stupid to be afraid of the rain, my dear." The storm outside hadn't stopped, and the next rumble of thunder had Myrnin wrapping his arms around Claire before the sound even had the chance to hit her ears. "But I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered over the sound.

Claire pressed her face into his shoulder again though she wasn't crying anymore. Then suddenly she giggled softly, "the vampire who was afraid of the dark. It would make a good story book."

Myrnin smiled slightly, reveling in the fact that even with as much as she was trembling, and even with the amount of adrenaline coursing through her small body she could still laugh. Then he took her hand and led her over to the couch. He sat pulling her with him. Her breath hitched slightly, but then she curled against him, her head on his chest. He wanted to kiss her so desperately but knew her actions were purely platonic. He had one arm wrapped around her shoulders, the other still holding her hand.

She squeezed his hand lightly, and he returned the pressure. He brought her hand to his mouth, gently pressing his lips to her knuckles. He felt her shiver and wanted so much more.

"I'm sorry, you really shouldn't have to comfort me like this," Claire said around a yawn.

"Friends help each other. Are we not friends Claire?" Myrnin asked. Worry coursed through him that she would say he was nothing more than her boss. But she had called him her friend before, he knew she had. And she had helped him, comforted him more than her fair share. What kind of friend was he if he didn't help when she was scared?

"Myrnin, you're my best friend," Claire whispered in response and he could hear the promise in her voice. She squeezed his hand again, and he hugged her just a little tighter. Neither said anything again. They just remained together on the couch while the storm raged on, Myrnin's arms protectively around Claire.

Not quite an hour later the rain was quieting, and he figured Claire could tell that too, but neither of them made an effort to move from where they sat on the couch. Claire's breathing had slowed to normal, and the overpowering smell of adrenaline only just barely lingered in the lab. Claire shifted slightly, leaning somehow even closer into Myrnin. The smell of her washed over him again. Like roses just out of a rainstorm. Ironic, really. He was surprised to find he only just barely had to suppress the urge to bite her.

Claire squeezed his hand again, and once more he returned the pressure. Moments later Claire had fallen asleep, nestled against Myrnin. He shifted slightly so he was lying back with her still curled on his chest, his arms still wrapped around her. He planted a soft kiss, perhaps reserved for someone more than just a best friend, on top of her forehead. Then, despite how unusual it was for him, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep himself to the sounds of Claire's breathing and the final moments of the rain storm.

* * *

Thank you for reading the first chapter of 'My Favorite Thing!' Please, please, please review! I'd really appreciate it! Of course, only the plot belongs to me, everything else belongs to Rachel Caine. Again, please leave a review! And if you liked this, go check out some of my other work! (I promise there's more Clyrnin there!)


	2. Whiskers on Kittens

Her _best_ friend. Even two weeks later that thought was still running through his head. Did he want more than that? By all gods, yes. But for now, he was just happy to know she cared for him. Even if it was only slightly by comparison. He thought there might be a chance that there was more than what she admitted. The day of the storm, the day he fell asleep with her, he woke before she did. Her increasing heart rate and breathing had woken him, just as she regained consciousness. He'd kept his eyes screwed shut in fear that Claire would be angry with him. But then he had heard her sigh softly, and she cuddled closer to him again and fell back asleep. Gods how he hoped that meant something more than just friendship.

He went back to focusing on his work as he heard Claire's heartbeat, from just outside the lab. He was under one of the many lab tables in the room, tucking wires where they needed to go. He had decided that he was going to turn the entire surface into a sort of computer. Claire had said something about the idea once before, but in typical fashion truly believed it wasn't possible yet. He figured it may impress her, and after the storm, he was willing to try practically anything.

"Myrnin?" He heard Claire call. He worried if he opened his mouth he would immediately tell Claire what he was attempting to do, and it was meant to be a surprise. So, instead of properly answering her, he stuck his hand out from under the table to wave at her. Evidently, she saw him, as she walked over to the table.

"What are you doing?" She asked kneeling down to stare under the table at him. He wound one of the wires around his hand. It was much too long to connect where he needed it to. Well… It would connect, but it would dangle and be unsightly and he didn't want that for Claire.

He realized suddenly that Claire had asked him a question. He decided to reply: "Things." He was deliberately not answering her questions, yet again and he could only hope she wasn't growing too annoyed by his antics. Claire slid under the table next to him, her arm pressed up against his. Her scent washed over him like a breaking wave, tempting him and testing every ounce of restraint he had built up. Both from the idea of biting her, and the idea of kissing her.

"Care to elaborate?" She asked, and even the sound of her voice tempted him. He turned his head to shoot her a smile. He almost did. He almost did tell her what his plan was. And why. He had to force his smile to become more mischievous.

"Perhaps," he said casually. Claire rolled her eyes, and Myrnin took the opportunity to focus back in on his work.

"Oh, come on, Myrnin," Claire whined at him. It was bad how much it amused him to annoy her. Not upset her, really, but it amused him when she whined at him. He tried to suppress a laugh and failed miserably. Oh, well.

"Hey," she said. "I will cut all of those wires if you don't tell me." Ah, threats. Well, that was certainly a change in tactics. He paused, worrying about how much progress he would lose if she did do that. Too much. He almost had it. He turned to look at her slowly, momentarily concerned. The concern turned to amusement, another laugh bubbled out of his chest. She wouldn't do that, she was too curious. Claire rolled her eyes at him again (they were going to get stuck up there, honestly) and crossed her arms over her chest. She was pouting, honestly pouting, her bottom lip jutting out ever so slightly. He didn't know how he managed to refrain from telling her just then.

"Well, my dear, it would, in fact, be quite helpful if you'd hand me the wire cutters just next to you." He pointed to the tool on the other side of her. She glared at him, and he stared back with as much innocence as he could muster. Finally, she rolled over to grab them. But then she refused to hand them over to him.

"Claire, I really do need those," Myrnin insisted.

"Tell me what you're working on." Myrnin leaned over on top of her to pluck the wire cutters from her hand, rolling his eyes at her feeble attempts at negotiation.

"Thank you," he said, as polite as can be, in his own mind at the very least. Claire sighed and pushed herself out from under the table, an action which both relieved and disappointed him. A relief because the temptation to tell her all about his project faded ever so slightly. But also a disappointment because of the loss of her warm touch, and because he feared he had annoyed her too much and she was going to be angry with him.

"Why I choose to be friends with you I'll never understand," Claire muttered. Being able to hear anything she said was definitely a perk to being a vampire. He chuckled both in amusement at her complaint and in relief that she did indeed still consider him a friend.

True to her typical behavior, Claire kept trying to get him to tell her what he was doing. He sent her to fetch tools for him. Finally, nearing half an hour later he knew two things for certain. The first was that there was no way he could resist her questions any longer. The second being that the surface was almost ready. He just had a few final tests to run, and she simply could not be there when he did.

Gummy worms and coffee were what he finally settled on as excuses to get her out of the lab. She certainly seemed a bit angrier when she left, but he hoped she would agree it was worth it. Although she also seemed amused about something, what it was he wasn't sure. Until he caught sight of himself in the mirror. His hair stuck out at odd angles and generally looked disheveled. Risks of the job, he supposed, trying to smooth it back down to its normal state.

As soon as he heard her reach the end of the street he set to work on the hardest part of the experiment. He ripped the marble top off the table, and replaced it with the glass he had made and hidden away the day before. He connected the final wires, and the glass lit up brightly. He wasn't particularly fond of modern technology but even he had to admit it looked impressive. But that still wasn't the hardest part. Claire loved the marble table tops, and she would also tell far too easily what he had done if it was just the glass. His plan was too, of course, thin out the marble enough that one could tell it was marble, but could also see and use the glass screen through it.

He'd had a lot of blood to clean up before she got back, he had sliced his hand open so many times. It was going to be worth it though. It worked, and it looked perfect too. The marble was just thick enough that one could easily tell it was marble, and just thin enough that the computer worked through it. He heard Claire's heartbeat getting closer to the lab, and threw himself back under the table. He sat there, not entirely sure why, or what he felt he needed to do.

She paused outside of the lab, and for the life of him he could not understand why. She hadn't hesitated walking in in so long. All of his muscles coiled, and he stood back up in consideration of the idea of running to greet her. The shack door started to open, and Myrnin instantly relaxed. He heard Claire pause again, and he let out a low growl of confusion. He needed to calm down, but was simply too excited.

Finally she started down the steps and he threw himself back under the table once more. Ah, that was what he needed to do. Cover the wiring so nothing would get caught. He'd made a plastic cover for it earlier, just the size to slide under the table.

"Myrnin!" Claire called as she reached the bottom step, sounding oddly excited. There was an odd smell mixed in with her normal scent. Was that? It was. She had found a kitten. A very young one at that. Oh dear. "Myrnin, look what I found!" He'd rather not. That creature was ruining his surprise. And it wasn't safe in the lab, Claire ought to have known that.

"I hope what you found is the coffee I sent you to get," he responded. He did actually want the coffee.

"Well, yes, but-" Myrnin stood and ran over, plucking the coffee from her hands before he gave her the chance of finishing that sentence. Then he returned back under the table, sorting out the last of the wires.

Claire walked towards him, then jumped up to sit atop one of the other lab tables. He could just see her feet dangling down. She tossed the gummy worms under the table at him, and his hand shot up to catch them.

"Thank you, Claire," he said, and then sighed inaudibly. He didn't want to upset her but that kitten simply could not stay in the lab. Quietly he said, "Now I think it's high time you get that creature out of my lab."

"What? Why?" Claire asked, and shock and sadness seeped into her voice. Myrnin slid out from under the table to stand in front of her.

"Claire," he said gently, "the lab is hardly the place for that."

"It's just a kitten! Where would it go?" She knew just how to make things even more difficult for him, apparently. He sat down on the table next to her.

"I suppose you could take it home," he suggested gently. Claire's face fell just as the kitten yawned and crawled from her lap over to his. He clasped his hands over his chest, not really wanting to touch it. He much preferred his spider. There was a reason cats were associated with bad luck, he had no doubt. His mother had beat the idea into him well enough as a young child when he'd recommended a cat to deal with the mice. Though this one was patterned in multiple colors, not just black, he still didn't trust it.

"I can't. Eve's allergic," she muttered softly. "And look, it likes you already."

"Claire, it could get hurt in here." Myrnin caught her gaze. He hoped she couldn't hear the nervous tremble in his voice. He needed no more bad luck. "Or worse."

"Worse how Myrnin? We could put it back on the street where it has no friends, and no family and nobody to care about it?" Claire crossed her arms over her chest, much like a pouting child. She sounded like she might cry, and if he didn't already know how terrible a liar she was he might think she was doing so just to make him give her her way.

"Claire, that's not fair," he said. "And I mean worse in that it could hurt you. What if it messes up an experiment while you're here, or knocks over a vial of chemicals. You know as well as I that chemicals can be volatile."

"I know," Claire sighed and slowly, and obviously deliberately, uncrossed her arms. "It's just so cute-" Claire reached over to pet the animal in his lap "-and I just want it to have a nice home." Myrnin just wanted her to take the cat off of him. Although, when it yawned and stretched its little paw over its head, he had to admit it was cute.

"Yes, well, I suppose it is. And of course you do."

"Aren't you going to at least pet him?" Claire asked.

"Me?" Myrnin responded. "No. Cats are bad luck, my dear. I fear I would rather not."

"You're scared of the kitten," Claire accused with a mischievous smirk. "Aren't you?" Myrnin elected not to respond. He wasn't scared of the kitten itself. Simply the bad luck. "Myrnin, it's not hurting you, see. Come on, just try to pet it. Please?"

"You're going to be the death of me," Myrnin muttered, slowly unclasping his hands. He reached down to pet the creature. His hand hesitated just above its head, his fingers twitching slightly.

Claire grabbed his hand gently. "I'm sorry. You don't have to, I shouldn't be making you do anything you don't want to." Her fingers intertwined with his, which seemed… oddly intimate to him. And it made him feel a little fuzzy on the inside, but braver as well. An odd feeling. Claire insisted he had been in love with Ada, but it simply wasn't true. Lust was all that had been. And while he certainly felt his fair share of lust for Claire, it was more than that.

"You don't believe in bad luck, do you?" He said, with a bit of a laugh. He hoped she couldn't tell how peculiarly nervous she was making him feel. Although, if she could perhaps she was blaming it on the cat. An asset he supposed.

"Not really." She shrugged. "But you do." She didn't make it sound like a bad thing which was perhaps the worst part about it. "I'm sorry I can take it… Somewhere else. I'm sure I could find someone who would want a kitten."

"I am sorry, Claire," he said earnestly. He hated upsetting her so.

She smiled at him. "I know. It's okay though, don't be." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, then dropped it, and reached over him to pluck the kitten off his lap. "I'll take him now if you want me to." Myrnin did not miss the change from calling the cat it to calling it him. "And I'll stay late tomorrow to make up for it."

"No," he said, a little too quickly. But she couldn't leave without seeing the table, he'd worked too hard on it. "No, I'm sure it will be fine for one day. So long as you remain working normally." The kitten snuggled up to Claire's shoulder, making them both seem somehow more adorable. Immediately he knew his requirement to work normally was one that would not be fulfilled. Claire shot him a wide grin, and slid off the table. She walked over to place the kitten on top of the couch, in a blanket she bunched up.

"Well, he's out of the way for now," she said softly, smiling down at the kittens sleeping form. Myrnin had never realized quite how easily cats fell asleep. Fascinating really.

Suddenly Claire spun on her heel. "Now, will you _finally_ tell me what you've been working on." She gestured towards the table.

"I suppose I could." Myrnin shrugged. Bringing a kitten of all things into his lab was reason enough to annoy her just a bit more, he supposed.

"I suppose you should," Claire teased right back, "Or I suppose I could just sit here and pet Archer."

"Archer?" Myrnin asked, his eyebrow raising slightly. Claire's cheeks flushed.

"I thought it would be cute to call him Archer," she stammered, embarrassed. "Since it's the astrological symbol for December first. And that's when I found him. At least, until I give him away." He wasn't sure if she just knew how to make saying 'no' to her more difficult for him, or if she was entirely sincere.

"Ah," he said slowly, "Archer then."

"What? Not what you would have named him?" Claire was teasing him again.

"Erwin," he said confidently.

"Like Erwin Schrodinger?" She snickered.

"Yes."

"Naturally."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, nothing at all, Myrnin." Her laughter belied her words.

"What?" He asked, growing embarrassed and frustrated.

"It's just so like you!" Claire exclaimed. "Especially to not just go with Schrodinger but with Erwin instead."

"I still say we call him Erwin," he said, crossing his arms.

"No way! You won't even pet him," she argued. "His name's Archer."

"So if I pet him we'll call him Erwin?" He asked. Claire shook her head. "Well, why not?"

"Because I called him Archer first! And _I_ actually like him!"

"It's nothing personal, Erwin, really. I don't appreciate cats in general, not just you," Myrnin spoke directly to the small figure that had crawled to the top of the couch to watch the ongoing argument.

"His _name_ is Archer." Claire reached down to pet the creature. "And he likes that better too. I know you can hear him purring." He could. Damn.

"Only because you're petting him," he accused.

"That's your problem, not mine." Claire simply smirked at his glare. Funny, that glare could make even Oliver go running when he used it.

"I could pet him if I wanted to." Myrnin insisted.

"Then pet him."

"I don't want to."

Claire smiled in triumph. "Then his name is Archer."

"Why can't you see that Erwin is simply a much better name for him?" he asked.

"Because it's _not,"_ she said and threw her arms in the air in frustration. "Archer is adorable, and it fits him."

"Alright then," Myrnin said carefully.

"Alright?" Claire asked suspiciously. Well, she had due reason to be suspicious.

"Yes, alright. I suppose he can suffer with the name Archer for one day, seeing as he's still not staying."

"Oh, yeah," Claire said. "You know they'll probably stick him with some awful name like Mittens right? He won't even be lucky enough to be named Archer."

"Why on earth would they name him _that_?" Myrnin asked in disbelief.

"Cause he has cute little black paws, see?" She held up one of his paws to show him. His claws popped out and Myrnin took an involuntary step backward. Claire acted as though she hadn't noticed, which he was grateful for. "And they look like mittens," she finished.

"But Erwin is a much better name! Even Archer, as ridiculous as it is, is a better name than _Mittens._ " True disgust seeped into his voice at the prospect.

"Yeah well, we aren't keeping him," Claire reminded him. "You're the one who doesn't want him, remember? So I hope you know I fully blame you if he gets stuck with some awful ridiculous name." Her voice was teasing, and he knew she wouldn't really blame him for that. Yet, he still felt a fair bit of guilt for the poor creature. Even a bad luck cat deserved a dignified name such as Erwin.

"You're the one who had to go and find him," Myrnin teased back. "He could have lived a perfectly happy, albeit nameless, life."

"He would have been so lonely though." Claire's voice took on a softer edge, and she frowned sadly down at the kitten. "And he's too soft to never, ever be pet." She ran her fingers gently over his head.

Myrnin made a decision then, only because he was feeling brave. Definitely not because it would make Claire happy. He took a few cautious steps towards Claire and Erwin/Archer. Slowly he reached out, Claire smiled encouragingly, knowing what he was attempting to do. Finally his fingers lightly brushed the top of the kitten's head. Oh. He was soft. Very soft, in fact. With vampire heightened senses, it made it more difficult to find things that actually felt nice under his fingers. Claire's hand in his was at the top of the list. But Erwin's fur seemed to take a close second. When he didn't react, and nothing blew up or stole Claire away, Myrnin decided to pet him again. This time he properly pet him, running his hand down his back.

"Not so bad, huh?" Claire whispered. He caught her gaze, suddenly realizing just how close she was. He could just lean forward and kiss her. She wouldn't protest, wouldn't step back. He could take her, make her his. Wait. No. No, she wouldn't want that, wouldn't want _him._ Yet. Maybe. He'd thought before that she seemed to be getting closer to him. Maybe he wasn't wrong…No it simply wasn't worth the risk. He couldn't risk losing her friendship.

"I suppose not," he whispered back just as quietly. Why they were whispering he wasn't sure, they had been so loud just moments ago. But something seemed wrong about speaking above a whisper in this moment.

Claire scooped the kitten up, taking an ever so slight step closer to him. "He likes it when you scratch his chin," she said, and gently did so. Myrnin imitated her movement. "Do you want to try holding him?" she asked.

Myrnin froze, then slowly nodded. "I-I should try."

"You don't have to."

"I do," he insisted quietly. Claire looked at him quizzically, and slowly he smiled. "I won't doom him to a life of being called _Mittens._ "

"Wait. What?" Claire asked, her voice going slightly shrill with excitement. "We're going to keep him?" 'We're,' interesting. He preferred that.

"Maybe. Just for the night." To his surprise Claire did not hand the kitten to him. Instead, she placed him gently down on the couch. As soon as the kitten was settled, she let out a loud squeal, and turned to Myrnin. She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. In his surprise he staggered back a step before he wrapped his arms around her small body.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Claire squealed in his ear. His face split into a rather embarrassing uncontrollable ear to ear grin.

"Claire, it's really just a test for the night," he insisted around a laugh.

Claire pulled back to look at him. She smirked, shook her head and said, "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"Myrnin, we both know you're going to love him, and never let him go." Claire smiled at him.

"Well, if that is the case, then his name is Erwin."

"This again?" Claire asked. "His name's Archer!" Suddenly she gasped, "Oh! I'm going to have to get him food." Oh, yes. He would require food. "I'll be right back!"

"Can't it wait?" Myrnin asked, and was instantly embarrassed by the begging note in his voice.

"The store's going to close soon, Myrnin. Trust me, I don't want to leave but Archer really does need food." She said things so logically sometimes that it frustrated him. Sometimes… Sometimes his brain simply refused to make those connections. Of course it was simply because of the time, and not him. Of course.

"Erwin," he said absently, while he pondered Claire's mind.  
"Archer," Claire said pointedly. Myrnin smiled slightly, and waved his hand at her, telling her to go. And she did, shaking her head.

"Hello, Erwin," Myrnin said to the cat that he had somehow agreed to keep as his own. How exactly had that happened? He wasn't sure. Claire tricked him, but not really. He just seemed to do anything she wanted these days, even if it took a bit of arguing… Or her simply giving in. She'd said she didn't mind… So why did that make him decide to do what she'd originally wanted? To make her happy, he supposed. No going back now, it would devastate her. Erwin mewled at him and he glanced down again.

"Yes?" He asked the kitten. "Would you like to meet your brother? His name is Bob. I think you will be quite fond of him." Myrnin gently scooped Erwin into his arms, the way Claire had done. He found he felt none, or at least very little of his initial fear. He knew he had Claire to thank for that. He would not thank her. Her ego was inflated enough, as she often said to him. "However," he continued speaking to Erwin, "I can't imagine Bob will be quite so fond of you. But you'll grow on him, as you did me. Although he will be in his cage far more often now. Claire wasn't fond of him, but now she is. She still says she isn't but I know she's a liar. You'll see, Erwin. She's a terrible liar."

Erwin mewled at him again, as if responding. As if he were agreeing with him. Well, why wouldn't he? Claire was a terrible liar, and even a cat would be able to tell. Myrnin froze, as Erwin decided to climb up his arm, claws digging into his jacket. He stopped himself, albeit barely, from tearing the cat off his arm and throwing it. It didn't hurt, but like the coward he was, it frightened him.

He pulled the cat off of him to put back on the couch, careful not to hurt it, and said, "Erwin, I really do recommend you don't do that… Oh." Erwin began tugging at the blanket on the couch. It startled Myrnin, but did not scare him, for which he was grateful.

He stepped away to find a piece of string, he'd heard cats liked string. Claire made fun of him for keeping the lab a mess, but really he could always find things. Well, mostly. Alright sometimes, and really only after Claire had just cleaned. Which she had done yesterday. Oh well. He wouldn't be admitting that to her any time soon.

Claire arrived back, while Myrnin was playing with Erwin. In fact, he was so amused by the kitten's antics that he only barely noticed her arrival. He finally looked up when she remained standing on the bottom step. She was staring at him with a small smile playing on her lips. She seemed partially amused, and partly… Something else. Something Myrnin couldn't quite read. He so desperately wished he could understand her better.

"What?" He asked, hoping maybe she'd reveal whatever emotions he could see in her face.

"Just for the night," Claire said mockingly. She rolled her eyes and dropped the surprisingly large bag of kitten food to the floor. "You're an idiot." Normally he would be offended at being called an idiot, but the way she said it made it seem… endearing. Like it was a compliment, or at the very least something she appreciated.

"His antics amuse me," Myrnin replied, deciding not to comment on either one of her statements.

"I told you there was nothing to be scared of, he's sweet. I'm really glad we're keeping him, Myrnin." There it was again. 'We're'. He couldn't quite explain the thrill that shot through him at that word. It seemed, somehow, to make him feel more attached to Claire. More a part of her life than just a friend. More than just a best friend. Even if that was nowhere near what she meant it to be.

"I am too," Myrnin replied after, he realized, a moments too long a hesitation.

"And I bet Archer is too, aren't you?" Claire pet the kitten, who slashed playfully at her hand with his claws. Myrnin flinched ever so slightly, but Claire only laughed. Although he did not miss her checking to see if the cat had drawn blood. He hadn't, which Myrnin could have told her.

"Honestly, my dear," Myrnin started, "he's much more suited to Erwin."

"He is _not_ ," Claire said. She sat down on the couch, the kitten the only barrier between them.

They argued until Claire began having trouble keeping her eyes open, and Myrnin decided it was high time for her to get some rest. He watched her walk through the portal longingly, wishing he could go with her, to spend his nights with her. And also wishing the part of him that so desperately wanted her would just _shut up._

"Erwin, my dear cat," Myrnin said, since Claire had definitely not convinced him to call the cat Archer, "you are very lucky, indeed. I suppose only a lucky cat could be found by Claire. And left with me when, I must confess, I will do anything to make her happy." A very lucky cat indeed. He could only hope some of that luck would transfer over to him.

* * *

Thank you guys again for reading My Favorite Thing! I hope you're enjoying it so far. I can't decide if I should oficially name the kitten Erwin or Archer, so I'm going to let you guys decide! If you leave a review, say which name you prefer. Whichever has the most votes by the time I upload the next chapter wins! Once again, Rachel Caine owns the Morganville Vampire series. I own only the plot and Archer/Erwin. Please leave reviews, I really do appreciate it!


	3. Bright Copper Kettles

It was about three minutes after she stepped through the portal, and two minutes after his conversation with the cat that Myrnin realized he never got to show Claire the modified lab table. He couldn't fathom how he'd forgotten about that, he'd been so excited about showing it to her.

"Perhaps not such good luck, after all, Erwin," Myrnin said, mild anger seeping into his voice. The kitten mewled in response and Myrnin forced himself to relax slightly. "Yes, I suppose you're right. She will be back tomorrow."

Myrnin busied himself around the lab as he waited for morning to come. Although he mostly remained intrigued by Erwin's behavior, and his sleeping habits. He also took Bob out for a bit. He did not want any jealousy from his two pets. Despite keeping busy Claire's absence was felt, even if it had only been a few hours. Recently he couldn't stand being without her. He almost wished for a new crisis that would call for her to be required in the lab more often. But he didn't because he didn't want Claire to be in danger.

"Myrnin?" Claire called out into the lab, as she stepped off the last step. She had come early, he hadn't expected her for at least three more hours.

Suddenly, the distance between them seemed far too much, so Myrnin ran over to her. She blinked at his sudden closeness but didn't step away. He worried only briefly that he'd startled her, but then she smiled at him. A grin spread across in response.

"You're early," he said and was immediately embarrassed by how happy he sounded.

"I wanted doughnuts, so I figured I may as well get you some too. And I figured you wouldn't appreciate it quite as much if they were stale." Claire shrugged trying to play nonchalant, but Myrnin saw that her ears had taken on a pink tinge. For the first time, he noticed the box of doughnuts cradled in her arm.

"Ah, well. Thank you, Claire," he said. He was being sincere but he was also extremely suspicious of her real intent. Now that they were here he found that he wanted doughnuts as well. She smiled again and he followed just a step behind as she continued her path towards one of the lab tables. Thankfully not the one he'd modified. She placed the doughnuts down then turned to face him.

"Where's Archer?" she asked.

"Who's Archer?" Myrnin asked in response.

"Myrnin," Claire whined. "Seriously, where is he?"

"There's no Archer here. However, I'm sure Erwin would love to see you," Myrnin said, and stepped away to grab the kitten who was wandering around on one of the bookshelves.

Claire made a small squeaking sound as he placed the kitten in her arms. Then she smiled up at him and said, "I guess you're more comfortable with him now, then?" He shrugged slightly in response, subconsciously running his fingers across the kitten's head. She was right though, the few hours she had left him alone with the kitten were just enough to assure him he would most certainly not be getting rid of him. And to make him comfortable with the kitten's antics.

"I suppose I am," he finally said. She smiled at him again, and he smiled back. God how he wanted to kiss her when she smiled at him like that. Instead, he reached into the box of doughnuts and pulled one out. Chocolate glazed, how lucky for him.

"Hey," she said suddenly, gently placing the kitten on the floor, "will you _please_ tell me what you were doing yesterday?" She copied his motions and pulled out a jelly filled doughnut. She had warned him once not to eat one. He had ignored her advice and had immediately wished he'd listened. The raspberry jelly had filled his mouth and made him gag. He knew he deserved the 'I told you so' he had received. Even now simply watching her bite into it nearly made him lose his appetite.

Despite his excitement to show her what he'd done to the table he still said, "On one condition."

Claire eyed him suspiciously. "And what would that be?"

"Agree to call him Erwin." Myrnin pointed towards the cat.

"Myrnin," Claire whined again. "Archer is so much cuter."

"Then I guess you don't get to know," he said casually. He bit into the doughnut, slowly chewing while she glared at him. The few brief moments seemed to tick by like hours.

"Fine," Claire sighed suddenly.

"Really?" Myrnin asked, practically choking on the half-swallowed doughnut.

"I guess since he _is_ living here. And since you didn't want him in the first place. I guess you should get to name him." She was blushing, again. Impulsively, and without thinking much about it, he pulled her into a hug, spinning her in a circle, and planted a kiss on her cheek. She giggled, grabbing onto his sleeves to steady herself. She didn't protest his sudden show of affection, which pleased him.

"I really did not expect that to work," Myrnin confessed. "Your curiosity gets the better of you."

"Oh, please," Claire said, rolling her eyes, "I was already going to agree to call him Erwin, as soon as you mentioned it yesterday."

"Then why were you arguing with me?" he asked, slightly confused.

Claire smirked. "Cause it was fun. And because I wanted to see how long I could get you to argue about it for. Also because you argued with me first"

"Why give in now, then?"

"I _really_ want to know what you were doing," Claire explained, sounding just a little exasperated. When he did not immediately tell her what he was doing she pointedly said, "You promised." Myrnin smiled again, grabbed onto her arm and pulled her over to the table.

"Look, see," he started. He meant to continue but she interrupted him.

"It still looks like a normal table, Myrnin." She was making fun of him _again._ And he absolutely could not understand why that seemed so endearing to him. He turned his gaze to glare at her ever so slightly.

"Yes, well," he continued, "it's not." She stared at him expectantly. "If you would, my dear." He gestured for her to step to the side, and she did. He moved to where she had just been standing and placed his hand lightly on the corner of the table. As soon as he made contact the table screen lit up.

"Oh," Claire gasped quietly. Myrnin tried to hide his smile. The screen showed up exactly as he had designed for it to. Selections on all sorts of different sciences, which of course included alchemy, showed up, around the oddly modernized but also very steampunk background. He was quite proud of that design. Myrnin removed his hand, and Claire reached out, selecting the closest science option which was astronomy.

The table changed again, to seem as though one were looking down at the real night sky. He'd used images collected from the Hubble telescope. When Claire pressed on one of the stars, it turned into a hologram. Claire gasped, running her hand through the projection. On the table screen, the computer gave her all sorts of information, including what constellation the star was part of, and all sorts means of classification.

"Oh," Claire said again. A smile broke across her face as moved back to the first screen. She kept clicking through sciences and worked her way through all sorts of holograms. "You programmed it to note the specific anatomy of _every single_ known living creature?" She asked. She sounded impressed, which thrilled him.

He nodded. "Do you like it?" he asked quietly.

"Myrnin, it's incredible," Claire said. She smiled up at him again, then to his surprise, hugged him. It was gentler than when he had hugged her before. He wrapped his arms around her, and when she pulled away he had to refrain from clinging desperately to her. Lately, he seemed to realize how unbearably cold he was when he could not touch her.

"Watch this," he said, excitedly. Then he ran off to grab a beaker and a pitcher of water. He came back before Claire had even blinked. He placed the beaker on the center of the table, feeling Claire's eyes following him curiously the whole time. He started to pour the water into the beaker and the table showed an accurate measurement of the both the amount and weight of water in the beaker. He stopped and turned back towards Claire to say, "since you're always complaining about how faded the measurements are."

"This is so cool!" Claire squeaked. "How does this even all work? I mean, it still looks like marble."

He spent the next hour explaining the mechanics, in very fine detail, of how the table screen worked. It still impressed him how interested Claire was to learn about everything and anything he could offer. She said she focused primarily on physics but she simply had a knack for the sciences. Sciences, yes, although Claire would laugh at his phrasing. He'd learned so much because of and from her, but he didn't think she understood the impact she'd had on him. He wished more so than ever that she would accept his offer to change her, to let her learn forever. But he refused to ruin this, and she was always so upset with him when he brought it up.

After he finished explaining they simply messed with the table screen together. Seeing who was the fastest to find certain stars, though he had the advantage, who could organize the periodic table properly first and so on and so forth.

"You could sell this, you know," she said. "To schools and what not. I really think this would help students fall in love with learning."

"Don't you want it?" Myrnin asked the instant feeling of loss hit him like a ton of bricks, and the sadness seeped into his voice.

A look of horror came over Claire's face and she quickly grabbed onto his arm. "Not _this_ one, Myrnin," she assured him. "I mean the design. I love this. I don't even know how to explain to you how amazingly happy I am right now. I never thought I'd live to see technology like this. I just meant that this could change everything. This could change the whole world, Myrnin. It's incredible. _You're_ incredible," she finished softly.

Myrnin stared down at her, unsure of what to say and unusually embarrassed by his emotions. Both the feeling of rejection he had initially felt and the swelling of love he felt at her words. How, after all his centuries of life, could a simple compliment from a single human turn him into nothing more than an awkward schoolboy in love?

"Oh," he finally said, just as his silence began to border on awkward, "I- thank you." Well, that certainly didn't help him out of the awkward silence.

"Yeah," Claire said, shifting uncomfortably, "of course." Myrnin's eyes fixated on her mouth as she bit on her bottom lip. He turned his gaze away quickly, already flustered. He feared he'd made her uncomfortable, and he knew he'd be furious with himself later if he had.

After another few moments of painfully awkward silence, Claire finally asked, "Do we have any other plans for today?" She wanted to leave. Myrnin nearly smashed the table in his rage, but he managed to keep it silent. He was not mad at Claire, he never could seem to be, but at himself.

"Not particularly," he said with forced calmness.

"Oh," Claire said again. She bit her lip again and asked, with what Myrnin thought was sadness, in her voice "Do you want me to go?"

"No," he answered far too quickly, but the corners of Claire's lips turned up into a very slight smile. "Do you want to?" He asked her, simply because it seemed appropriate.

"Of course I don't," Claire said, just as fast as Myrnin had answered. He felt his own lips quirk into a similar small smile.

"Would you like tea?" He asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Oh," Claire seemed to relax slightly, "Yeah, sure. That'd be nice."

"I'll go make some," Myrnin said. He walked quickly over to the small kitchen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Claire press a few buttons on the table screen, then walk over to the bookshelf and pluck Erwin off, cuddling him against her chest.

"I hope you know it's all Myrnin's fault that you're named Erwin," she whispered to the cat. He looked up at her to see that she was staring resolutely at the cat. She knew he'd heard.

"He loves his name, Claire, and you know it," Myrnin called.

"Does he? And do I?" She asked back, speaking normally.

"Yes."

"Okay then." She smiled at him then, the kitten nuzzled against her neck. He smiled back, and nearly burned himself on the hot water as he poured. "Myrnin," Claire said suddenly, "is that an actual copper kettle?"

Myrnin looked down at the kettle in his hands. He didn't see anything wrong with copper kettles, and it was quite shiny. He liked it.

"Yes," he answered simply. Claire smiled at him again. It was different this time, like she was holding back laughter. It seemed she was laughing at him a lot lately. He wondered if that was at all a good thing. He didn't ask what was so funny, and she did not confess.

He watched as Claire brought Erwin over to the couch, and as he curled into a ball in her lap fast asleep. Myrnin walked over with the two cups of tea and sat down next to her.

"It's hot," he said, as a way of warning as he passed her cup over.

"Thank you." Claire carefully took the cup from his hands. Myrnin only nodded in response, taking a small sip of his tea. It scorched his tongue but he hardly even noticed. The silence was comfortable, and he was fairly certain the feelings between them, at least as they were in his mind, were going to give him whiplash.

He broke the silence first. "I never thought I would miss cold winters," he said. He didn't know how his mind had gotten there, but it had. "And yet tea is so much better when it's cold, outside. It brings much more comfort."

"I'm pretty comfortable," Claire said, with a small shrug. Myrnin felt his heart swell. "But I guess that's because I've lived in Texas my entire life. I've never actually seen snow before."

"Did you never go on trips?" He asked. Claire took a sip of tea, then shook her head.

"Not really. I mean, we went up north once. But it was in the middle of summer, so there wasn't exactly snow."

"I wish you could see it, Claire. Snow, I mean. I forget sometimes how wonderful it really was," Myrnin said.

She looked at him for a second, and pet Erwin. "You miss it," she said. It wasn't a question. Not really.

"I miss lots of things, Claire. But yes, I suppose I do miss snow," he replied. He took a sip of tea. She was right. In fact, he desperately missed the snow. As a child, he'd nearly hated it. It was hard to survive the winters when he was human. As a young vampire, he cared for little. But being trapped in Morganville for all these years had made him miss strange things. Snow being oddly high on the list.

"I always wanted to go ice skating." Claire took a sip of tea and shifted ever so slightly closer to him. She stared into his eyes, and his gaze was locked on hers like a magnet. "Did you ice skate when it snowed?"

"Yes, but not much." He broke their gaze ever so briefly to take a sip of tea as the memory of his first-time ice skating flooded his mind. "I was so young then," he said, deciding to tell the story. "It was the winter I was turned. It was not for fun, I assure you."

"But was it fun?" Claire interrupted him.

"I suppose in the end it was. But it wasn't exactly intended to be." He paused, and when Claire stared up at him expectantly he continued. "We had to cross the ice, and Gwion-"

"Who's that?"

"He was my mentor… of sorts. He purchased me from my mother when I was a child."

" _Purchased you_?" Claire asked incredulously.

Myrnin suddenly realized just how horrifying that may sound to one as young in the modern world as she. "Yes, he needed an apprentice. He would later be the one who turned me, as well." He thought it a fairly similar situation to his and hers, but perhaps she would not see it that way, as she was the one receiving the money.

"Oh," she said slowly as if coming to terms with what he was saying. Sometimes he too forgot just how old he truly was. "What happened to him?"

Myrnin glanced down, fidgeting with the bottom button on his shirt uncomfortably. "I killed him," he mumbled. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her, not even about this. Claire didn't respond, and he glanced up quickly to see a mildly disturbed look in her eye. "It was with due reason, my dear, I can promise you that."

"I'm sorry," she said. Myrnin blinked in surprise. He had nearly expected Claire to stand and leave. But not an apology. And an apology for what, at that? Still, it made him feel better. How peculiar.

"It's quite alright, Claire. It was a very long time ago." He attempted a smile but was fairly certain it fell flat. "But as I was saying, we had to gather supplies for an experiment, and therefore were required to cross the ice." Claire moved closer to him again. "Gwion refused to go himself, as back then we had no way of testing the safety of the ice." He took in a breath. "Testing the ice proved to be entertaining for a short time, it seemed stable enough at first. Although, I was not. I think the number of times I fell may well have damaged my brain." Claire chuckled quietly. "Eventually I stabilized enough to venture further out onto the ice. I went too far I suppose, and not carefully enough. The ice broke, and there was nothing to stop me from falling into the water."

Claire grabbed at his hand suddenly, as if she could somehow catch him, somehow stop him from falling into the icy water centuries after he had. He wrapped his fingers carefully around hers. He didn't want to embarrass her, but he also didn't want for her to let go. She didn't pull away from his grasp.

"I managed to cling to the floating ice until Gwion came to rescue me. I think we both knew then that I was dying, and now I have to wonder if that had been his plan all along."

Claire squeezed his hand gently and said, "I'm so sorry, Myrnin."

"You shouldn't be," Myrnin said with a shake of his head. He kissed the back of her hand gently. He felt her shiver but she did not pull away. "We both knew already that he was going to turn me. It was merely a matter of when. He gave me the choice, Claire. I chose this. I'd made the decision long before then as well." _I chose the chance to meet you,_ he thought but would not say. Of course, when he made the decision he never could have known of her existence. But every day he was more and more grateful that he had.

"Did- did he change you right then?" Claire asked, and he caught her gaze again,

"No. He did try to nurse me back to health, but winters were harsh and there was not much he could do," Myrnin explained, "he claimed to not having wanted to turn me quite so soon."

"Were you scared?" She asked quietly. Her thumb ran gently across the back of his hand, and he had to suppress a pleased shudder.

"Of what?"

"I don't know. Dying. Becoming a vampire." Her face was flushed slightly and she wasn't looking into his eyes anymore. He thought it odd she'd be embarrassed asking him questions such as these. He didn't mind them.

"No," he said slowly, "naturally, I had no desire to die but I trusted he would turn me before then. And I wasn't frightened by what I was to become. What I am." Claire removed her hand from his and buried her face against Erwin's fur. He flinched at the loss and wondered if she too could hear the kitten's quiet purring. He held the warm teacup closer to him, but it did nothing to stop the chill running through him at the loss of Claire's touch.

"I would have been," she mumbled. She hadn't removed her face from Erwin's fur. He wished she wasn't scared. He wished he could show her, somehow, that none of it was frightening.

"Honestly, Claire," he said, forcing a bit of a laugh, "we both know you are much braver than I."

She peeked up at him. "I'm really not. I don't know why everyone always thinks that." Myrnin rolled his eyes at her and reached out to pet Erwin. She moved her face away to let him.

"You certainly manage to remain calm better than myself, at the very least."

"I would have been terrified of falling in, Myrnin. I don't think I would have even gone out on the ice not knowing if it was stable or not," she said.

"If you were there then, I think you would have. We did what was necessary," Myrnin said, with a small shrug. She would have been on the ice as soon as it was needed, and he knew it. "Would you ever go ice skating, now? With the new technology?"

"Not _anymore,_ " Claire said, shaking her head vehemently. Myrnin let out a short laugh. "And it's not like I'll ever have the chance anyway. So I guess I'll never have to make that decision."

"You would if the opportunity presented itself." Myrnin knew he wasn't wrong. And he knew she knew that as well.

Claire sighed and a small smile played at her lips. "I guess I probably would," she admitted. "But I think I'd prefer an ice skating rink."

"Why?"

"Because then I definitely wouldn't fall in. Or have to watch as someone I care about falls in," Claire explained.

"Yes, that makes sense," Myrnin said thoughtfully. There was a brief silence between the two of them, and Myrnin collected the emptied teacups and brought them over to the kitchen. As he made more tea in the copper kettle Claire had made fun of him for he couldn't help but wonder if he was a person she cared about. Yes, she'd said they were friends, but he still couldn't quite wrap his head around what that meant.

"I did always want to see snow, you know," Claire said as he settled himself back on the couch, handing her cup back to her. "I think… I think that was one of the biggest appeals of MIT. I'd actually get to see it snow in the winter." Guilt washed over Myrnin. He knew she was stuck here, as he was. And somehow he felt as though it were his fault. "It's probably snowing there now."

"Probably," Myrnin agreed. His voice was quiet and he only hoped she didn't hear the guilty note in his voice. She'd never truly blamed him before, but he worried she would. She took a sip of her tea and smiled pleasantly. He mirrored her motions.

"Myrnin? Will you tell me more about snow?" Claire asked bouncing onto her knees excitedly. He blinked then smiled at her sudden burst of energy. "What does it feel like? Is it actually fun to play in? Kid's are always playing in the snow in movies. Did kids play the same way when you were young?" There was something odd but sweet about the way Claire had been asking about his past more and more recently. He wouldn't have expected for a few simple questions to thrill him the way they did, but they did.

"Claire, slow down," he said with a laugh, although he had hung onto every word she said. "Where exactly do you want me to begin?"

Claire paused, and Myrnin took another sip of his tea. "What does snow feel like?" She finally asked.

"Cold, mostly," he replied. "And often it depends. Sometimes it's soft… powdery. That's often pleasant for snowball fights, which yes, I did partake in as a child." He added before Claire could ask. "But it's not very good for other activities. Sledding and such is best in the more compact snow, although it does tend to be more like ice, and can be a bit more painful when one falls." He remembered snowball fights with his elder sisters, suddenly. He didn't particularly like remembering them, his sister that is, but it was a peculiarly pleasant memory. Far from expected, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Myrnin?" Claire whispered, placing her cup upon the coffee table. He blinked away the tears and smiled at her. Despite that, she still asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, fine. A bit nostalgic, I suppose," he said with a nod.

The concerned look didn't leave Claire's face, and she gently took his hand. "You know you don't have to talk about this with me if it's upsetting you. Right?"

He placed his cup on the table next to Claire's as he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Honestly, Claire. I'm alright." He kept a tight hold on her hand. He didn't think he could handle it if she took her hand away from his yet again. She didn't even try.

"What were you thinking about?" she whispered.

His lips quirked into a slightly embarrassed smirk of a smile. "Snowball fights," he answered a bit awkwardly.

"Were they fun?"

"Yes, although they could quickly become unpleasant." He wasn't looking at her, just sort of staring distantly. His lips were still quirked into a small smile.

"How come?"

"There are times when it becomes incredibly easy to tell you do not have siblings, my dear," he chuckled. She narrowed her eyes at him slightly. Under his palm, he could feel her blood rushing just a bit faster, and her pulse start racing ever so slightly. He didn't understand why, but he didn't question it. It was so slight he doubted she noticed it.

"My cousin was sort of like a brother!" Claire protested weakly.

Myrnin shook his head, "Were that true even one who hasn't seen snow before would understand how a snowball _fight_ could quickly become unpleasant."

"Well, then tell me." Claire moved closer to him to poke at his chest with her free hand. She did not move back, and Myrnin's entire body felt like it had been lit on fire by her warmth. How pleasant.

"They would start off as simple entertainment, as I am sure you presumed. But we would quickly grow angry with each other-"

"Yeah, but why?" Claire interrupted. Had anyone else interrupted him the way Claire constantly did he would not have been pleased. However, somehow, her eagerness had become adorable to him.

"Ice in the snowballs was the usual downfall. Also being hit in the face, or being hit too hard. I forget how incredibly sensitive children can be." Myrnin's thoughts drifted for a moment before he gathered himself. "Of course, any of these things would start a fight amongst us."

"Well, that makes sense," Claire said. "I bet you were the one who aimed for people's faces, weren't you?"

Myrnin felt his cheeks flush slightly. "I suppose I was. But my eldest sister was the one who had a knack for finding ice." Claire laughed softly. She shifted her hand, lacing her fingers through his.

"I'm guessing actual fights are different in snow than normal fights," Claire said, still laughing slightly.

"Incredibly. Somehow more violent, actually," Myrnin replied.

"How so?" Claire asked, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"In a typical fight, it was often mostly shouting, although outside of winter my sisters and I did not often interact." He saw Claire frown at him. He knew she was wondering why but he didn't know if he could explain that. "When snow would fall," he continued before she could ask, "there was a significantly higher amount of tackling and hitting and the like. I suppose because we'd be cushioned by the snow we did not mind the idea of hurting each other quite so much. If I recall correctly, when the snow was deep enough we'd try to hold each other's heads under the snow when we grew angry."

"How often did you get your head held under the snow?" Claire asked, laughing again.

"Often enough. I was the youngest, you must understand. Therefore the easiest target." The memories were beginning to border on unpleasant and he'd rather they stopped talking about his sisters.

"I guess my cousin wasn't actually much like a brother," Claire said softly. She could tell, he thought, that he was growing uncomfortable. "He was really overprotective of me."

"You seem to have a tendency to bring that out in people," Myrnin responded. Claire looked up at him, and once again her gaze held his like a magnet. He meant it too. If anyone dared to lay a finger on Claire the only thing stopping him from killing them was Claire herself.

The corners of her lips quirked up, and he once more felt the blood rushing through her body. He was hungry, he noticed. This was perhaps too close to be safe for her, but he could not bring himself to move. He wasn't starving and he knew, for Claire, he'd be able to restrain himself. He ignored the feeling, and as fast as it appeared it faded.

"He broke some random kid's jaw on a playground once, just for _trying_ to push me off a swing," Claire said, with the same slightly absent tone he was sure he'd been speaking in earlier. "That was the first time I ever saw a broken bone, actually."

"I broke my arm whilst sledding," Myrnin said. He'd thought it a funny story after it happened.

"How?" Claire asked.

"I hit an ice patch, I think. Or simply lost control. The sled flipped, or I hit a tree. I can't quite recall now. I do recall my arm being broken, however. Right at the elbow. Back then we didn't exactly have proper medical care." Myrnin paused, thinking. "Had you known me when I was human you would have known I'd broken my elbow before as it bent back slightly when I'd try to hold it flat."

Claire shuddered and ducked her head, landing it against his shoulder. "Ew…" she groaned softly. He felt her warm breath swirl against his skin. "Broken bones are _not_ something I appreciate. At all."

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Don't be."

"I already am."

Claire glanced up at him, removing her head from his shoulder. "Really, Myrnin. Don't be. Please don't be sorry. I asked you to tell me."

There was another brief silence between them. Claire yawned and rested her head against his shoulder. He stroked her hair softly. It was mostly an absent motion, but it was also partly in an attempt to stop her moving away from him.

He wanted to kiss her. The desire ached through his body, tearing holes through his very soul with the pain of it. She was so very close to him. He could kiss her. Just lean forward slightly and kiss her, so easily. But he didn't know what he would do if she tried to get away from it. From him.

Claire yawned, squeezing his hand gently as she did. "What do you miss the most about snow? Ice skating, snowball fights or sledding."

"Skating," he responded. Sledding, as fun as it had been, would not be quite so entertaining when one could move at vampire speed, he figured. And the recollection of the fighting that came with snowball fights was unpleasant enough to make him not miss such things. As he'd grown he stopped seeing the pleasure in throwing frozen water at another person, much less having it thrown at himself. "Despite what happened, it was still the most fun."

"I wish I could have tried," Claire whispered. She yawned again and snuggled closer to him. Myrnin wrapped an arm around her and held her tightly.

"Maybe someday, Claire. Perhaps you'll get the chance." She giggled and shook her head. He knew she thought there was no chance, but already he had a plan in mind.

"Maybe someday," she giggled quietly. Her generation had an odd love for sarcasm. She, apparently, was not excluded from that.

He walked her home. Well, carried her home, through the portal. She'd fallen asleep against his shoulder, once again. He'd been too hungry to allow himself to sleep as he'd done the night of the storm. So, he carried her home and tucked her into her bed. It was in her sleep that he was finally brave enough to gently press his lips to hers, ever grateful when she did not stir.

The empty tea cups and half filled copper kettle were the only reminders of reality he had, upon his return. And, of course, Erwin licking up the last remaining droplets within the cups.

* * *

Well, this is, officially, the longest thing I have ever written. Hope everyone is proud of me! Thank you to girlofshadows for your review! As the only one who reveiwed before I wrote this chapter, the kitten is officially named Erwin, in your honor! Again, please leave reviews. I really love them!


End file.
